Automobile-top and curtains therefor.



S. P. STEBN.

AUTOMOBILE TOP AND CURTAINS THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3. 1913.

1,1 19,125, Pateutd Dec. 1, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES all! S P. STEEN. AUTMWEKLE TOP AND CURTHNS THEREFOR.

1 LPIJGATION FILED JULY 1913-.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS SAMUEL 2. screen, or

AUTOMOBILE-role as;

fjspecification of Lliihl PATENT (lhlblC-lll.

.urnrams Tamra eon.

Lette- Pat out ed Dec. 1., 1%14.

Application tiled Ia; 393 Jul '1 'o a whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL P. Srumz, a citizen of the United States, and resident of lfh'iladelpl1ia,.in the county of Philadelphia, State/of Pemisylvania. have invented a new and useiul Automobile-Top and Curtains Therefor, of which the following spear fication. e

My present invention relates to apovel vehicle top and curtains thereior and consists of anovel top, which supported i a novel manner, Wlmreby it new be readily raised and lowered with a minimum amount of labor by a single operator. Y

It further consists of novel construction of bows and a novel mannerof mounting the same.

It furtherconsi sts of a novel construction and arrangementpf curtains and brackets therefor, whereby the curtains may be readil removed when desired.

It urther -consists of a novel construe tion of a shield for-the curtain, whereby the same is brought into close relationship with respect to the bows. I I

Itfurther consists of other novel features of construction, all'as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

' For the purpose of illustrating my inven tion, I have shown in the accompanying drawin 5, one formthereof which. is pre ferred y me, since the same will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the vary ous instrumenta'lities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown a and described.

Figure 1 represents a sideelevation of a motorvehicle having in conyunctic'n there with a-t-op and curtain curb-tidying my in vention. .Fig. 2 represents aside elevation of a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the top in full lines-in-lolded position and in dotted lines in partly folded position. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of an enlarged scale of a portion of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a section on line e e: Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a sectional elevation of Fig. 1, showing more clearly the curtains. Fig. 6 represents a transverse section of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 represents, on an enlarged scale, a perspective view of a shield which may be I corresponding parts in the figures.

* Referrin to the d:1"a'\.vings,--my invention is. designs to be employed in con unction with any desired/type of motor or other vehicle, but for purposes of illustration, I

have preferred to illustrate the same as used with an. automobile body. The top is pro- -vided with. rear bows 1., rear brace bows 2,

front brace bows 3 and front bows '4. The front bows 4 comprise an outer sleeve 5, intowhich the extension rod 6 extends, said rod being provided with means for locking thesam'e with respect to the sleeve 5, and in the present instance, I have preferred to show-the same as being accomplished by means of a cotter pin 7, which passes through'the aperture 8 in the sleeve and the aperture 9 in the rod. The rods 6 are mounted on the pins 10 of brackets 11 and secured in position thereon b' means of fastening devices 12, such as or example, cotter pins. The rear bows 1 are secured in the usual manner to a bracket 13, which is provided with astud 14, to which the rods 6 are secured by means of cotter pins or other fastening devices 15 when the top is folded. The front brace bows 3 which are secured to the stud 16 of the .front bows 4, when the top is open, are disconnected when the top is closed and secured to a stud 17 on a rear bracket 13 by means of a cotter pin or other suitable ifastenin device, as will be best understood by re erence. toFig. 3.

'19 designates one or more stays connected with the cover 20 or the front brace bows 3,

each stay being provided with a hook 2]., as best seen in F lg. .2, which is adapted to interlock with a pin 22 connected in any de- 7 sired manner to the vehicle body.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 5 to 9 inclusive, 1 have shown in conjunction with the bows, a novel type of curtain, which may be readily removed or swung out of the way when it'is desired to fold the top, and which are adapted to overlap each other so as to partially or wholly close the sides of the top, as desired. 23

:' carried by the bows.

designates a curtain bracket comprising a bar provided, in the present instance, with apertures 24 therein, which are ada ted to receive the upwardly extending p0 one 25 of hooks 26, the portions 25 being a rtured to receive a cotter pin or other astening device 27, it bein noted that an extension 27 is formed on t e hooks, in order to increase the bearing for the-"bracket 23. Each bracket 23 is rovidcd at each end, with a plate 28'whic is secured thereto in any desired-manner, and offset, as at 29 in order to rovide a space between such plate and the bracket 23, through which an adjoining curtain may pass,-1n order that one curtain will lap over the other: 30 designates osts secured to the lates 29 in any desired manner and adapted to have mounted therein the roll of a curtain 31. A catch- 32 is provided controlled by a cord 33, whereby the curtain may be released in order to automatically open, since the curtain is preferably of the spring roller type, which is so well known that it is unnecessary to describe in detail the construction and operation thereof. 34 designates a shield, the upper portion of which is preferably connected with the bracket 23 in any desired manner, said shield passing around the curtain 31 and having its lower end deflected inwardly, as at 35, in order to bring the curtain into close proximity to the bows of the top, as will be understood by reference to Fig. 6. In order that one curtain may overlap the other, the shield is slotted, as indicated at as, in Fig. 8, and as will also be understood by reference to Fig. 5. The curtains are preferably located inwardl of the bows, which latter are provided with .buttons 37 passin through apertures of the usual type in he curtain. The lower ends of the curtains are reinforced and are provided with tabs 38. Each curtain is also preferably provided with an outlook window 39, which are protected by the shield 34 when the curtains are not in use. The top bows are provided with a hook 40, as seen in Fig. 6, so that one end of the bracket 23 may be removed from its fastening device 25 and swung around at an angle thereto and secured to its respective hook 40 when it is desired to fold the top of the vehicle. If desired, the bracket may "be bodily removed from the fastening devices The cord 33 passes through an aperture 41 in the shield 34.

Assuming that the top is in open position and it is desired to close the same,-it is simply necessary to release the books 21 of the stay's 19 from their respective pins 22 and remoye the cotter pin 7, whereupon the top/ may be folded back into the position seen in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the rods 6 are then removed from engagement with the studs 10 of the brackets 11 and are mounted on the studs 14 of the brackets 13, as will be understood by reference to Figs. 2 and 3; The front braces 3 are then removed from the studs 16 and secured on the studs 17, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. When the parts are in closed or'folded position, it is simply necessary to secure the front braces 3 to the studs 16 and the rods 6 to the studs. 10, whereupon a sin le operator may readily and easily draw t e top forwardly and secure the stays 19 in assembled condition.

The purpose of the fastening devices 7 is to prevent relative movement of the to 20 wit respect to the vehicle body, suc as might otherwise occur due to the lifting power of the wind or other currents of air produced during the travel of the vehicle.

Special attention is directed to the fact that the curtains may be opened orclosed to an desired extent so as to provide a free circu ation of the air. The curtains, if desired, may be bodily removed and away within the vehicle body and if esired frontand, back curtains, constructed in a similar manner, may be em 10 ed in conjunction with the top. The s ie d will serve to prevent any dirt, dust or foreign material being collected on the curtains when the same are rolled u Attention is also directed to the fact t at all of the curtains are preferably adapted to be operated from the inside of the car and owing to the manner in which they overlap with each other the entire interior of the car is rendered waterproof when the curtains are closed.

The curtains are preferably located in different horizontal planes and owing to their novel construction the side of one ourtain overlaps the side of the other, the shield 34 being slotted to permit such action to I take place.

It will now be apparent that I have de vised a novel and useful construction of an automobile top and curtains therefor, which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described a preferred embodiment thereof which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A vehicle top, bracket supporting means carried thereby, brackets comprising bars carried by said bracket supportin means and located in different horizonta planes, curtains mounted in said brackets and adapted to overlap each other, and a shield secured to each bracket and inwardly ackedv deflected to engage at all times its respec tive curtain to cause it to travel in close proximity to said bows.

1%. A vehicle top, bracket supporting means carried tliei'ebv. brackets carried by said bracket supporting means and located at diil'crenthorizontal planes. curtains mounted in said brackets and adapted to overlap each other, a shield secured to each ln'ar .etand inwardly deflected to engage at al times its lcspt'ctlvc euiiain to cause it to trawl in cl proximity to said. lion's, and means to re ;in said curtains at any desired point ol opening.

:3. A vehicle top having supporting ineim hers. supporting devices carried by said na-niliers, brackets comprising bars rcniov alil r mounted on said devices, curtain supporting means at the ends of said brackets and offset tlu-refrorn, and curtains carried l said curtain supporting means, and said crrtains being mounted to cause a curtain to pass between the bar and curtrtin sup porting means of the adjacent ctniaii'i, \vnrrchy said curtains overlap each other.

i. .1 vehicle ton, ran ing su i'i ior intf in: at

supporting? devli'a' carrni;

m mbers, brackets comprising bars removably mounted on said devices, curtain supporting means at the ends of said brackets and offset therefrom, curtains carried by said curtain supporting means, said ourtains being mounted to cause a curtain to pass between the bracket and curtain supporting means of the adjacent curtain hereby said curtains overlap each other, and a shield for each curtain and partly surrounding the same and provided near its with a slot through which an adjacent curtain may pass.

5. In a device of the character stated, a bracket comprising a bar having means at the ends thereof to secure the same in positlon, plates each having one era-'1 secured to t. id bracket and the other end oll'set there from, a curtain carried by said plates, and a (shield secured to said bar and partly surrounding said curtain. and having its free end at all times in contact with said curtain iam": as a guide therefor.

SAMIWCL l7. STHl -h.

W i tncssca:

Iii. Fruunimits, i. l). A'ICVAX 

